Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is the etiologic agent of epidemic bacterial meningitis and rapidly fatal sepsis throughout the world. Rapid detection of Nm infection and early treatment initiation are essential to positive outcomes in patients. Techniques commonly employed for the identification of Nm include biochemical tests, slide agglutination serogrouping (SASG), and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Coreless, C E, et al., J Clin Microbiol, 2001; 39:1553-8; Jordens, J. Z., and J. E. Heckels, J Med Microbiol, 2005; 54:463-6; Mothershed, E. A. et al., J Clin Microbiol, 2004; 42:320-8; Taha, M. K., J Clin Microbiol, 2000; 38:855-7. The chromogenic tests and SASG can be subjective, which often complicates species identification.
ctrA may be the most frequently targeted gene to detect Nm using PCR. Taha, M. et al., J Clin Microbiol, 2005; 43:144-9. However, the capsule locus, including ctrA, is subject to rearrangement, and 16% or more of carried meningococci have been shown to lack ctrA altogether. Invasive NG meningococci can undergo similar rearrangements of the capsule region (J. Dolan Thomas, unpublished data), although these events may be less common than in carnage isolates.
Thus, there is a need for compositions and methods to detect of meningococci, especially of carriage isolates that may be ctrA-negative and NG.